Saltus Grammar School - Yearbook (Hamilton, Bermuda)

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11 On Empire Day it wasi fitting to remember the Navy ' s connection with the Empire. Sailors had first settled the distant outposts of the world, and later had defended those settlements and kept intact the vital links which bound them to the Mother Country; and the Navy preserved the life of the Mother Country, without which the Empire would distintegrate. There was, after all, this ' encouraging consideration at the present time, that Germany ' s drive to prosecute hostilities on land was a con- fession by them that they had already suffered one great failure in !the war, for, at the beginning, they had made immense efforts to blockade Britain ' s sea-borne trade. The proceedings closed with the sdnging of the National Anthem. LECTURE BY LIEUT. -COMMANDER J. B. HEBAPATH. At the beginning of February we had the pleasure of hearing from Lieut-Commander Herapath how the Dusseldorf, later renamed the Poland, had been captured ' by H. M. S. Despatch. Lieut-Comman- der Herapath had been in command of the Dusseldorf from the coast of Chile to Bermuda. After foiling an attempt on the part of the Germans to reach territorial waters, the Despatch sent a boarding party on board. These men were only just in time to save the ship, as bombs had been set. By prompt and courageous action the boarding party prevented these from doing serious damage, although one bomb exploded while the party was looking for it. The Germans apparently expected harsh treatment, and were quite friendly when their fears were allayed. The only punishment ever inflicted on a German sailor was the .washing of the laundry when that was necessiary. They had a triumphal passage through the Panama Canal, where vast numbers of people had come to watch them and to take photo- graphs. After that the rest of the journey to Betrm ' uda was without incident. The School displayed very evident interest throughout the re- cital, and the cheersi which they gave at the end were proof positive of their appreciation of the performance.

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10 deeply grateful, Toeing fully conscious that, especially in these difficult times, his encouragement can materially assist us to continue our progre£ ' s of recent years, whatever obstacles may be thrown in our way. A ISIT OF MAJOR E. BUTTON, ACTING-GOVERNOR OF BERMUDA. On Friday, Nov. 3rd., we were honoured by the visit of Major E. Button, Acting-Governor of Bermuda. A Guard of Honour, provided by the Cadet Corps was drawn up on the Parade Ground to receive him. The Acting-Governor then made a tour of the school and saw the boys at their work. There followed a General Assembly in Hall at which the Acting-Governor addressed the School. He praised the smart appearance of the Cadets, and impressed on us the fact that both the Cadet Corps and the organisation of the school as a whole gave the boys a chance !to learn that quality, so necessary just now, responsi- bility. He went on to relate the history of a aeries of difficult incidents on the Abyssinian frontier, where a young officer had shown a mix- ture of tact and firmness that saved the situation. That young officer is now Sir John Waddington, a Saltus Old Boy. At the conclusion of the Assembly the Acting-Governor watched the boys give a display of P. T. on the field. EMPIRE DAY CEiLEBRATION. The School held i ' ts celebration of Empire Day on Thursday, May 23rd. Vice-Admiral Sir Charles Kennedy-Purvis, Commander-in-Chief of the America and West Indies Squadron of the Royal Navy, had kindly consented to give the address. On his arrival the Admiral in- spected the Cadet Guard of Honour, drawn up on the parade ground to receive him. At the Assembly in Hall !the I. O. D. E., to whose efforts the celebration of Empire Day in Bermuda is largely due, was represent- ed by Mrs. Leon Powell. In his address the Admiral stressed the fact that it was only the defeatists who had any apprehensions about the ultimate issue of the present conflict. Britain had twice at least in her history been faced by as great a danger of invasion, when Drake scattered the Spanish Armada, and when Nelson defeated the fleet of Napoleon. She had survived those crises by the merit of her navy and v ould do the same again.

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12 THE SAILORS ' HOME. In January, Mr. L. N. Tucker, Superintendent of the Bermuda Sailors ' Home, gave the school a talk on the Home and the way in which it was ' run. He said that he knew that schoolboys would be glad to do what they could to help, so that th-ey would be able to say after the war that they had done their bit. Old clothing, magazines and games were badly needed. A committee was elected from the Upper Sixth, Sixth and Fifth Forms, and each boy was given his particular job. One was to look after magazines, one clothing, and another was to try to procure a gramophone. This was very generously given to the Home by Mr. B. W. Malloy. Collecting boxes were put in the sichool shop, and custom- ers were urged to drop in their spare pennies and halfpennies. The rooms under the Headmaster ' s house were converted into games rooms, and it was arranged that small parties of sailors should come over to the school and be entertained or play games on the field. This proved to be a great success. Then dances and concerts were arranged in the Asrembly Hall, and the proceeds divided between the Sailor ' s Home and the sailors who took part. Finally the boys helped to star ' t a shop in the Naval Recreation Rooms in the Eermudiana Hotel. Candy and cigarettes are sold there, and on some afternoons a boy goes over there and looksi after the shop. Com.mittee: — Mr. H. Richardson, J. Adams, R. Biggs, R. R. Thompson, H. R. Outerbridge, J. I. Lough, C. R. Young. CRICKET AND FOOTBALL. Last year ' s cricket season can undoubtedly be reckoned an the most succesisful the school has ever had, if the standard of play is anything by which to judge. This was due m ' ainly to the untiring efforts of Mr. Ilott in taking nets practice at every opportunity, and the very great improvement must have been a source of immense satisfaction to him as well as to the others concerned. Of the matches played, the Ist. XI won four and lost one, while the results of the ' Colt ' s ' matches was one win and one loss. The House matches also provided good cricket and after t ying for first place v ith Saltus, Watlington defeated them in the replay.